The La Tania Ski Blog
Latest news, snow, pics, gossip and information from the locals in La Tania – latania.co.uk
All the latest news from around the Three Valleys from the La Tania locals. A real blog since 2006, not just endless re-posts for search engine optimisaton! Photos, gossip, snow reports, what's on and all the latest on the Apres Ski scene... Now fully optimised for iPhone, Touch and Android Mobiles - just go to latania.co.uk/blog and view on your phone. Our other past blogs & favourites here
Cascades Chair Val Thorens 1st 3V Lift of Winter 2013 OPEN
From the official Val Thorens site, the Cascade Chair goes green just after 9am this morning. Official opening is on Saturday but a pre-opening of some limited lifts is happening today & Friday.
The first few skiers in Val Thorens today enjoying the “pre-opening” before Saturday’s official opening.
Transfers to La Tania and The 3 Valleys 2013 – What’s New?
More shared transfers on offer, scheduled mini bus shuttle transfers, a new Eurostar connecting shared transfer at Moûtiers and under 5s travelling free…
Shared Transfers and Scheduled Shuttles
Long established La Tania transfer companies Three Vallee Transfers and Snowbound Transfers have always had various private and shared transfer options available and as with all transfer companies it’s worth giving them a call as no one want to be driving with an empty leg of the journey.
This season Snowbound Transfers will operate a shared shuttle from Mon to Fri from Geneva at 11:00 and 16:00 with returns from resort at (approximately – flexible due to numbers and pick ups) at 06:00 and 12:00.
At the weekends Three Vallee Transfers have a scheduled service leaving from Geneva every Saturday & Sunday at 10:30 and 15:30 with returns from resort at 06:30 and 09:00.
Shared mini-bus transfers from Geneva to La Tania are around €60 to €70 per person one-way – compare that to the scheduled bus service (which usually requires a change at Moûtiers and takes forever) which costs €79 one-way.
Lil Snowmates
Snowbound Transfers are offering a new promotion this season of particular interest to families with their “Lil Snowmates” where under 5s ride for free – contact them for further details.
Eurostar Connecting Shared Transfers
Also new for 2013 is Three Vallee Transfers offering a door-to-door shared transfer to meet the London Eurostar day service at Moûtiers on a Saturday at 18:12 for journeys to La Tania and the Méribel Valley for only €20 per person. The following week, they collect you from your accommodation at approximately 08:15 so you’ll be back in Moûtiers in plenty of time for the Eurostar’s departure at 10:08.
La Tania Transfer Companies
New for 2013 and joining the La Tania transfer companies of Snowbound, Three Vallees, Ski Hame, Ski-Dazzle and Ski Magic are Snow White Transfers with Nick & Helen getting you here with military precision!
All these companies are fully registered, licenced and insured with the French authorities and regulatory bodies.
3 Valleys Apres Ski Party in London & Winners of the Easy Rider Competition
Despite massive investment once again in the ski area infrastructure, The Biggest Ski Area in the World could afford a fairly lavish party in London last week for tour ops and associated holiday suppliers and hangers on like us at the Coq D’Argent restaurant in the city. La Folie Douce crew were there promoting the new Méribel venue, the champagne flowed throughout the night (normal price £9.80 a glass) and top canapés including micro burgers and fish fingers & chips were served.
The winning family in the Easy Rider competition were there to accept their prize – a really nice family from North London and very deserving of their prize with their great video entry – they will be going on 3 Holidays to the 3 Valleys this year including a week in La Tania with lift passes courtesy of S3V, transfers from La Tania’s Three Vallee Transfers, Chalet holiday from Le Ski and instruction from the ESF – all kind of weird with the ESF (all be it as the national technical input to the case and not the La Tania franchise who have a much improved reputation nowadays) involved in a court case about Ski Hosting with Le Ski – the same old story that’s been rumbling on for ages about the qualifications & differences between ski hosting, guiding and instruction – no one wins here the longer this goes on….
Holiday Autos Ski Promotion 15 quid off discounted car hire prices
TODAY (19 NOV 2012) ONLY – Use code HASALE19 for 25% off FRENCH HIRE (includes French side of Geneva airport)
Holiday Autos ski code (15 quid off)
Promo: 15 quid off worldwide car hire
Destinations on sale: All Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Canada, USA, Finland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Norway
Online promo code: SKIHA15
Booking period: 19 Nov 2012 – 28 Feb 2013
Pick-up period: 19 Nov 2012 – 31 Mar 2013
Minimum rental duration: 5 days
New Plattieres Gondola being tested on Saturday morning
Saturday morning Plattieres being tested. The ramp to access the bubbles still has to be built. Freezing night temperatures and day time 2 -3 C max for over a week.
Nick www.nickskithreevalleys.co.uk
La Tania does Beaujolais Nouveau Day
Mini, Hendo (not Mini Hendo) and Crispy checking out the new Beaujolais at the Drop Inn in Le Praz last night. Mini celebrating becoming Uncle Mini too! Should have posted last night but 3 Valleys Party destroyed me.
Remember, it’s all about the skiing this Winter…. Thanks to Free Ride Republic Ralph for the pic.
The Price Family – win £30,000 worth of holidays from The 3 Valleys
What a prize and yes of course 1 week is in La Tania courtesy of Le Ski and Three Vallee Transfers. Top work everyone, check out the winning video entry and thank you at http://www.s3v.com
Internet Access and Cheaper 3G Options in La Tania
While mobile phone calls have become almost reasonable between foreign networks since last season and limited internet access is available on certain UK packages if you’re out for the season then a local French SIM card will be the way to go. Also take in to account the cost of people calling your UK number from a Pay As You Go French mobile – soon mounts up.
O2 for example tease you with 25MB a day for a fixed fee which seems reasonable – until you get used to it and start to stray over it with a huge £3 per MB or £6 per MB in Geneva (non-EU) at the airport (you can get a free hours WiFi at Geneva airport by the way).
French pay as you go cards are even available in the UK from 0044.co.uk so you can get one before you go and simply slip it in your unlocked phone for use as soon as you arrive in France. There’s a mobile phone shop in the foyer area of the Carrefour supermarket in Moutiers and top up vouchers are available from the Tabac in La Tania if you need to wait until you get here.
Internet access is available in many bars, some for free and the La Tania Tourist Office has a WiFi signal across many parts of La Tania for a small charge – the cheaper overall access the more days you buy (Val Thorens has plenty of free access all over the ski area even while riding the lifts). Many of the chalets or apartments also provide WiFi or have an arrangement with one of their neighbours so you’re unlikely to need to stay disconnected for long – unless you want to be of course…
An alternative for Saisonnaires or a group travelling regularly to France is the Orange “Domino” portable Wifi units (pictured above) – they are sold by Three.co.uk in the UK as MiFi units – there are several of the Huawei units on the market now, some can be bought on contract and un-locked for any data SIM card fairly easily too. They generally provide Wifi for up to 5 devices at a time – even handy for a couple with 2 mobile phones, an iPad and a laptop for instance, never mind the kids devices.
The PAYG (or Let’s Go in France) version can be bought in Orange shops in France for around €50 and pay around €25 for 2GB of data valid for a month. Unlocked version are about double that on eBay but plenty of sites have instructions on un-locking codes – just check the model number is exact before attempting it – then it becomes handy for any local data SIM for Summer holidays too!
More info on the Orange France website.
La Tania Video Snow Report 13 Nov 2012
First La Tania Video Snow Report of Winter 2013 – T Wall arrives in La Tania and video reports will never be the same again as Rich ups his game – a quality AltiVisual production…
Pub Le Ski Lodge / Taiga / LdV – Winter 2013 Opening Parties Dates Confirmed…
Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania opens for Winter 2013 on Friday 30 November for their 20th year. Returning staff slaving away for Mini & Tim include Crispy, Hendo, Luke, Joc, Cookie, Scotty, Dunc, Mini Hendo, Tomas and the return of one Chris McCarthy…
Meanwhile Lodge du Village over in Meribel Village opens on Sunday 9th December and La Taiga in La Tania has its opening on Wednesday 12th December.
For news of the parties, promos, gigs, menus, and special nights plus their facebook and twitter pages check out:
